Statistical considerations about the brain rest state hemodynamics with functional near-infrared spectroscopy

• Grant number: 21/05173-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2021
• End date: July 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Rickson Coelho Mesquita
• Grantee: Rodrigo da Motta Cabral de Carvalho
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin (IFGW). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07559-3 - BRAINN - The Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, AP.CEPID

Abstract

One of the biggest challenges in neuroscience is comprehending brain function mechanisms on different temporal and spatial scales. In particular, the topic of neurophysiology during the resting state (i.e., the state in which the brain does not consciously receive any internal or external stimulation) at the macroscopic level is of great interest, not only by the brain's high metabolic consumption but also by emergent patterns that microscopic components cannot explain. Different techniques can be employed to measure brain function at the macroscopic scale, such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). With fNIRS, it is possible to measure Spatio-temporal patterns during the brain's spontaneous activity at rest, with specific characteristics and behaviors from complex systems. These complex patterns can also be simulated with interaction models, such as the two-dimensional (2D) Ising model. This project aims to comprehend the 2D Ising model and employ it as a toy model in resting-state fNIRS data to establish comparisons that can further elucidate the dynamics of cerebral spontaneous hemodynamics fluctuations measured by fNIRS. (AU)